Kellie Finlayson has revealed she is ‘really good at faking it’ as she attempts to maintain some normalcy despite her ongoing battle with cancer.
The 30-year-old, who is married to former Port Adelaide player Jeremy Finlayson, was initially diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in 2021, shortly after giving birth to her daughter.
By Boxing Day 2022, the young mum was told that the cancer had metastasised to her lungs.
That initially led Jeremy and Kellie to cancel their wedding, but a second oncologist prioritised quality of life, and the two went ahead with a low-key ceremony in 2023.
The mum-of-one has captured the hearts of the Australian public with her sense of humour and resilience as she lives life to the fullest despite the diagnosis.
She credits much of this to her daughter, and to her ability to act as though she is okay.
Kellie Finlayson (pictured) revealed she is ‘really good’ at faking it as she lives a normal life despite terminal cancer diagnosis
The 30-year-old was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer in 2021 and revealed it had spread to her lungs at the end of 2022
Finlayson said that her maternal nature and daughter Sophia have played a crucial role in her ability to carry on fighting through over 80 rounds of chemotherapy
Since beginning chemotherapy in 2024, Kellie Finlayson has been through over 80 rounds of the treatment and takes daily chemotherapy tablets which have taken a heavy invisible toll.
She told news.com.au that she ‘shows up every day like a normal person. You wouldn’t even know that I’m on chemo every day.
‘I have one week off every now and then, but for the most part I just don’t show my family my pain, and I’m intentional with that.
‘Jeremy in particular probably doesn’t even realise that I still have cancer because I am really good at faking it.’
Having a young daughter has also played a critical role in Finlayson’s outlook on life calling herself the ‘most maternal person you’ve ever met’ adding that she knew she was always born to be a mother.
Her daughter’s energy has been infectious, as she told the publication ‘Sophia has been the main reason I’ve been able to persevere over the past five years.
‘When she asks me to play with her, I simply can’t say ‘no’, because she’s just this beautiful, innocent little girl who wants her mummy.’
Kellie has also acknowledged the effort that her husband Jeremy has put in, with the former AFL star stepping up as the primary parent following the cancer diagnosis.
She told the publication that he has done as much as he could in a way that she ‘would accept’, confessing ‘I pride myself on my independence , I’m not very good at asking for help.’
Despite all her optimism, Kellie has still been the target of online trolls. In November 2025, she took to social media to speak out against those who accused the then 29-year-old of faking her illness.
Kellie Finlayson (pictured) has lashed out at horrific trolls who claimed she did not have cancer
Finlayson published a photo of herself on Instagram, overlaying a caption on the image that read: ‘Guys, a bit of a rant.
‘In short, I’m a true crime podcast fiend, but often – and especially with medical fraud cases – the narrative rubs me the wrong way far too many times to not comment on it.
‘Firstly, yes, there are terrible, narcissistic people in the world, I’m not saying there isn’t!
‘BUT when an investigator being interviewed says: “The first thing that led me into the case was the way she looked, the way she held herself and the way she showed up in public spaces and online claiming she just hoped no one would go through what she could go through, that no one would feel as sick as she did or grieve the life they thought, they’d have, the things they’d miss of their children’s life etc,” like that COULDN’T POSSIBLY be someone’s reality?”
She added: ‘[That] p***ed me right off. Obviously, because I am that person.
In spite of all this, Kellie also remains a very public advocate for young Aussies having received her devastating news at just 25-years-old.
